A virtual environment is a concept of including a virtual object and any virtual circumstances. Haptic properties of the virtual environment include material properties, dynamic force effects, tactile properties, etc.
The material properties include stiffness, static friction, dynamic friction, damping factor, haptic texture, etc. of the virtual environment and the dynamic force effects include mass, force field, etc. thereof.
In addition, the tactile properties include vibration, tactile patterns, etc. thereof.
Based on the haptic properties of the virtual environment defined as such, tactile information may be provided to a user through a haptic device. If the user in the virtual environment touches a virtual soft doll therein, the feeling of the soft property may be delivered and provided to the user as well.
Of course, if such soft feeling of the virtual object is provided to the user, the virtual object could be provided more realistically, but there was a problem of determining at which position and to which degree tactile sense is desirable to be generated.
Therefore, the present inventor intends to propose a technology of creating and generating force feedback at proper intensity at an optimal position to solve the aforementioned problem.